the AI decision science startup announced $19 million in Series A funding led by Lightspeed and Accel with participation from a leading research university Bridgetown Research has developed AI agents that autonomously execute research Most notable amongst these agents are voice bots trained to recruit and interview industry experts gathering primary data that can be analyzed alongside alternative data sourced from their partners who previously led machine learning teams at Amazon before leading strategy engagements at McKinsey & Co. Bridgetown Research was born from a simple observation: the majority of business analyses are a permutation of a small number of automatable tasks comprising former professionals from McKinsey brings together extensive experience across strategy consulting and technology "We are excited to be a catalyst for change We are working with multiple private equity firms and corporate teams to help make strategic decisions better and faster This in turn is driving up demand for advisory and information services downstream We enable $10+ of advisory and information services revenue for every $1 we make we're building something bigger than ourselves—an ecosystem where everyone thrives," commented Harsh Sahai While many AI solutions focus on searching and summarizing information using LLMs real world business decisions require much more than synthesising the open web They need proprietary data such as primary data from experts and customer surveys along with frameworks to understand markets outputs need to be repeatable and auditable for a business to use them to make decisions with tens of millions of dollars at stake Bridgetown Research is the only player using agents to gather primary data and systematically find patterns in it to generate original insights Bridgetown Research: (L to R) Founder Harsh Sahai with Director of Engineering Mohak Singh “AI is causing widespread disruptions across many enterprise functions and Bridgetown Research is riding that wave by assisting executives in making important strategic decisions We are pleased to see Bridgetown serving several marquee customers with users likening its platform to having a team of top-tier consultants at their fingertips with his background as an ace AI research scientist turned management consultant blends a unique combination of skills and insight needed to imagine this whole new category of applied AI,” said Anagh Prasad Bridgetown Research started with a focus on private equity deal screening diligence Multiple top-tier PE & VC firms already use Bridgetown Research for deal screening and deeper commercial diligence They’re able to screen their pipeline much faster with initial analysis taking 24 hours instead of weeks without Bridgetown enabling teams to focus on actual decision making instead of research and analysis For other customers Bridgetown has enabled voice of customer conversations that cover hundreds of respondents in parallel Investor at Lightspeed added “Companies are built on the quality of strategic decisions Bridgetown Research enables the smartest executives and investors to make these decisions with an order of magnitude more information Harsh and Bridgetown are already creating immense value for their customers but are still just scratching the surface of the leverage that AI can create.” As global markets become increasingly complex the demand for efficient and effective decision-making tools continues to rise Bridgetown Research plans to invest further in training its AI agents to perform a broader set of analyses across a broader range of domains and deepening industry partnerships to enhance access to domain-specific intelligence Media images can be found here Bridgetown's historic Town Hall has undergone a landmark refurbishment ensuring it will remain a vital community hub for future generations The renewed Bridgetown Town Hall and Civic Centre was formally opened by South West Minister Don Punch on Saturday 3 May after almost two years of construction The Shire of Bridgetown-Greenbushes project was supported by $353,000 in State Government funding and a $204,000 Lotterywest grant The renovation restores and conserves many of the original aspects of the building while upgrading the facilities to contemporary standards to better facilitate community events and cultural activities Key works include sanded and oiled Jarrah floors and wall and ceiling acoustic panelling to improve acoustic performance The Town Hall also received equipment upgrades including lighting a new large movie screen and high-definition laser projector film and other art and community activities The Town Hall's original projector now has pride of place in the foyer alongside heritage information about the 1936 building As stated by South West Minister Don Punch: "This project delivered by the Shire of Bridgetown-Greenbushes has successfully restored the historical significance of the Town Hall and Civic Centre whilst increasing its functionality "The fully restored Bridgetown Town Hall is proving a success "It will play a key role in regional and local events including Blues at Bridgetown and the Bridgetown Social Dancing Club Ball." As stated by Regional Development Minister Stephen Dawson: the town hall is a focal point for social gatherings "This redevelopment project has adeptly paid homage to the heritage of the building whilst making it a modern venue to ensure this grand building will serve the community well for decades to come "The Cook Government is committed to enhancing the social fabric of our regional communities." This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Entrepreneur® and its related marks are registered trademarks of Entrepreneur Media LLC Seattle-based AI decision science startup Bridgetown Research has raised USD 19 million in a Series A funding round led by Lightspeed and Accel The company plans to use the fresh capital to enhance its AI agents expanding their analytical capabilities across multiple industries while strengthening partnerships to improve access to domain-specific intelligence a former Amazon machine learning leader and McKinsey & Co Bridgetown Research is redefining how businesses conduct research and decision-making The startup's AI agents autonomously execute research tasks with its voice bot solution standing out as a key innovation These bots actively recruit and interview industry experts to gather primary data which is then combined with alternative data from Bridgetown's partners to generate deep insights inspired by the repetitive nature of traditional business analyses built Bridgetown Research with a team of ex-McKinsey The company's AI agents are designed to automate and accelerate decision-making processes for private equity firms "We enable USD 10+ of advisory and information services revenue for every USD 1 we make," Sahai stated emphasising how the platform serves as a catalyst for the broader ecosystem Unlike many AI solutions that focus on summarisation and search Bridgetown Research goes further by collecting proprietary primary data through expert interviews and customer surveys Its AI-driven frameworks—what Sahai calls "ontologies"—allow businesses to systematically analyse markets auditable insights crucial for high-stakes decision-making "Bridgetown Research is transforming the way executives make strategic decisions Customers describe its platform as having a team of top-tier consultants at their fingertips." Lightspeed investor Ishaan Preet Singh echoed this sentiment "Bridgetown enables executives and investors to operate with vastly more information at a speed that was previously impossible." top private equity and venture capital firms leverage Bridgetown's AI-driven tools for deal screening and commercial diligence accelerating initial analysis from weeks to just 24 hours The company also facilitates large-scale Voice of Customer (VoC) research capturing insights from hundreds of respondents in days Bridgetown Research aims to broaden its AI's analytical scope and deepen industry collaborations solidifying its position as a game-changer in AI-powered decision intelligence We'll be in your inbox every morning Monday-Saturday with all the day’s top business news best advice and exclusive reporting from Entrepreneur KLM will reopen its new tropical destination KLM's Boeing 787-9 will continue to Georgetown Barbados is one of the largest underserved markets in the Caribbean from the Netherlands providing travelers with a sunny destination during the winter months Bridgetown is renowned for its stunning beaches KLM is catering to the growing demand for both tourist and business destinations in the Caribbean KLM previously operated flights to Bridgetown in the winter seasons of 2021 and 2022.Flight ScheduleFlight KL783 departs on Tuesdays and Sundays at 09:35 from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS) and arrives at 13:35 local time in Bridgetown (BGI) The flight then continues at 15:05 to Georgetown (GEO) returning to Amsterdam at 08:00 the following day.KLM operates this route with a Boeing 787-9 This aircraft offers 30 seats in World Business Class Barbadians will begin to receive the one-off Solidarity Allowance payments as announced in this year’s Financial Statement and Budgetary Proposals whose banking details are already lodged in the various systems while those not registered will start receiving theirs from May 21 different government agencies will pay different categories of persons Persons employed in the central government will receive their BD$300 through the Treasury Department which will be deposited into the bank account where they receive their salary For those employed in state-owned enterprises payments will be issued by their organisation The Barbados Revenue Authority will issue payments to private sector employees registered in the tax system with banking information and the National Insurance and Social Security Service (NISSS) will issue payments to self-employed persons Other individuals eligible to receive the $300 include those who have made contributions to NISSS in the past 12 months; all contributory pensioners; all non-contributory pensioners including those receiving the Special Needs Grant; all persons receiving an Invalidity Benefit from the NISSS all Welfare Department clients; people not on welfare and individuals who have not worked in the last 12 months Individuals are encouraged to ensure that their banking information is up to date to facilitate the timely processing of payments to bank accounts officers from the NISSS will be available at post offices to assist persons in registering to receive the one-off payment View the discussion thread. Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Bridgetown Research WA-based company building AI agents for decision research with participation from a research university The company intends to use the funds to expand operations and its development efforts Bridgetown Research builds AI agents focused on research and analysis using primary and secondary data for verticals including private equity Its voice agents and web crawlers find and clean data while its analyses agents produce repeatable 26/02/2025 This is part of a weekly series introducing readers to individuals who are passionate about our Mid-Valley community After a career spent in theater as a performer Rick Lewis had been batting around the idea of starting a school to train young people for the theater and give them the training they would need to get into a college program While in the hospital nine years ago after a stroke unable to walk or feel anything on his right side One was he would crawl to a piano if it meant that he could play again he founded the nonprofit Bridgetown Conservatory of Musical Theatre in Portland Lewis and Bridgetown’s other instructors are teaching classes of teenagers and adults the finer points of singing Lewis says 95% of Bridgetown's teenage students get into college theater programs “I would have killed to have something like Bridgetown when I was younger,” said Lewis “I would have killed to have an adult professional to tell me I have worth Lewis was forbidden from performing in theater by his Baptist minister father He said that only made him want to do it more “Everything in my life was a sin,” he said After graduating from Wright State in 1978 he got his first musical director position He worked on a variety of shows and in a variety of positions A friend asked him to back up auditioners for a William Finn play That led to him being becoming the audition pianist for Stephen Sondheim while Sondheim was creating the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning play “Sunday in the Park With George.” When “Sunday in the Park with George” opened About the same time it was opening in 1984 Lewis had a choice of continuing to work on it becoming musical director of an off-Broadway play or working on a Liza Minelli play for which he had arranged the music he became the resident conductor for Portland Center Stage And he did anything else he could find that was “creative,” including performing in “Gray Gardens.” “And I played the pianist of the mother Students started seeking Lewis out for guidance on earning entrance into musical theater programs and in 2013 he started teaching voice lessons Bridgetown started with a space in downtown Portland winter and spring on Saturdays from 11 a.m Lewis and other instructors have helped teach hundreds of students who have gone on to college theater “I will take anybody who wants to because here’s the deal I would have not gotten in if I had to audition,” he said which operated at the Grand Theatre in Salem since 2013 He found a space at the Salem Arts Building at 155 Liberty St NE and Bridgetown started with monthly workshops in Salem last summer It transitioned to its first eight-week course in the fall and Lewis found experienced instructors including Beth Sobo-Turk Clara Liis-Hillier and Gavin Hoffman to teach the courses Bridgetown will have other eight-week courses in January and the spring and the nonprofit status allows them to help people who can’t afford that The Bridgetown Salem Musical Theatre will hold its first production 14 and 15 at the Verona Studio at the Reed Opera House The Salem performance will include seven young performers from its Salem classes: Coleman Casebeer Tickets are $26.33 to $34.74 and are available at https://www.simpletix.com/e/g-i-holiday-jukebox-a-holiday-stage-door-c-tickets-189975 If you have an idea for someone we should profile for this series, please email Statesman Journal executive editor Cherrill Crosby at crosbyc@statesmanjournal.com  Bill Poehler covers Marion and Polk County for the Statesman Journal. Contact him at bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com Among the semifinalists for the 2025 James Beard Awards — the 35th anniversary of the awards — Southern California restaurants and chefs did well Last year, Rashida Holmes was nominated for Outstanding Chef. This year, Bridgetown Roti, her Caribbean pop-up-turned-brick-and-mortar In 2024, Barra Santos in Cypress Park was nominated for Best New Restaurant chef Melissa López gets a nom for Best Chef: California Danielle Duran-Zecca and Alessandro Zecca of Highland Park's Amiga Amore were named in the Emerging Chef category Duran-Zecca is a contender for Best Chef: California Once again, Gusto Bread in Long Beach is a semi-finalist for Outstanding Bakery and Nicole Rucker of Fat + Flour are both nominated for Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker Nautically-themed Strong Water in Anaheim is also a repeat semifinalist for Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program For the 35th anniversary of the James Beard Awards the James Beard Foundation has added three new categories focusing on beverages: Best New Bar Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service and Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service You can see the full list of semifinalists here Daisy Ryan and Greg Ryan, Companion Hospitality (Bell's, Bar Le Cote, Priedite BBQ The famous uni (sea urchin) served in its own shell at Holbox in Mercado La Paloma Gilberto Cetina, Holbox Pasjoli Jesus "Chuy" Cervantes, Damian Bridgetown Roti Gusto Bread The apple pie at Fat + Flour in Culver City Nicole Rucker, Fat + Flour République Strong Water Thunderbolt Roma Norte Tobin Shea, Redbird Chef Daniel Castillo mans the grill at Heritage Barbeque.Photo by Katarina Frederick so your donation is critical to KCRW's music programming Good Food’s Evan Kleiman delivers local-first missives from our vibrant food community Donate by midnight tomorrow and your $100 becomes $200 for KCRW thanks to a $10,000 match by music legend Moby DOuble dollars Get the latest from KCRW in your inbox 3x a week 2025: With just five years remaining to achieve the 2030 Global Goals including global energy targets in line with Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7) the Sustainable Energy for All Global Forum takes place from 12–13 March 2025 in Bridgetown to catalyze action and raise ambition with the aim to end energy poverty and accelerate a just and inclusive energy transition Over 1000 high-level representatives from government civil society and youth organizations will assemble in Bridgetown to celebrate success and provide practical pathways to equitably transition energy and transform lives This sixth SEforALL Global Forum is being organized under the theme “Sustainable Energy for Equity It is the first to be held in the Latin America and Caribbean region Initial confirmed speakers in the two-day programme include: The Government of Barbados as the co-host of the 2025 SEforALL Global Forum is once again showing its commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals and a clean energy future “Barbados is committed to a sustainable energy transition within our borders and beyond That is why we are proud to partner with Sustainable Energy for All on this Global Forum which will be a pivotal moment in the fight for climate justice and ensuring developing countries are supported with their energy transition efforts,” said Hon Senator and Minister of Energy and Business “Under Prime Minister Mottley’s leadership Barbados has become a trailblazer for a just and equitable energy transition I cannot think of a more fitting place to hold the 2025 SEforALL Global Forum commitments and collaborations aimed at ending energy poverty and climate change,” said Damilola Ogunbiyi CEO and UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All and Co-Chair of UN-Energy With Ministers from over 30 countries expected to attend two Ministerial Roundtables will be organized to foster collaboration and ambition and increase investment for the energy transition in developing economies and emerging markets The Forum will also play host to a number of key announcements and launches including the DRE fund on innovative finance and country energy transition ambitions through energy transition and investment plans In addition to the Forum’s main programme, the first global winners of The Energy Heroes Award will be unveiled showcasing how groundbreaking ideas are translating into real-world impact the Forum provides a critical platform ahead of COP30 where the COP30 Presidency will unveil a roadmap to guide enhanced climate finance leading up to the global climate talks later in the year More information on the 2025 SEforALL Global Forum is available at https://www.seforall.org/forum  Sherry Kennedy, Director of Communications: Sherry.Kennedy@SEforALL.org / Media@SEforALL.org | +43 676 486 2425 Robert Magori, Senior Communications Specialist: Robert.Magori@seforall.org | +43 676 846 727 240  Get a taste of chef Rashida Holmes’s award-winning biographical Caribbean cooking at Bridgetown Roti in East Hollywood When the next step in chef Rashida Holmes’s cooking career seemed uncertain in 2019 she jotted down everything she loved to eat and cook in a notebook After spending decades working in kitchens across the U.S and Los Angeles under seasoned chefs with distinct culinary visions — including Israeli Mexican and even Pennsylvania Dutch — Holmes was ready to strike out on her own “I filled two notebooks and the only thing that I couldn’t go eat in LA were rotis and patties,” she says “What are the odds that I could find the thing that LA doesn’t have that’s personal to me Fast forward five years and hundreds of pop-ups later, and Bridgetown Roti is opening its long-awaited restaurant on Saturday at 858 North Vermont Avenue in East Hollywood Holmes’s path from ideation to execution might seem straightforward the timing of Bridgetown Roti’s swift rise was intertwined with the pandemic and its far-reaching complications “I don’t know if Bridgetown Roti would’ve worked the same way if it didn’t happen when it did,” says Holmes “There were just so many things that happened at the same time that gave us a lane that would not have been there otherwise.” the chef made as many patties as she could sell while expanding the menu to include beloved family recipes like her mother’s chicken curry and aunt’s cod cakes the three partners put their heads together at monthly and annual business meetings (“This is Mom’s influence,” says Holmes) to plot Bridgetown Roti’s future including how to grow its brand and expand to a proper brick-and-mortar restaurant down the line “The pop-up was always a means to this end “It was a brand builder to get us to this point I never thought we’d have the kind of brand awareness that we have.” “It’s a testament to how well we’ve positioned ourselves in this market,” says Smith whose eye for design and shared passion for Caribbean cuisine informed Bridgetown Roti’s social media presence and digital storefront “Creating food that you can’t just get around the corner being the company that provides rotis and patties that you can’t get even in the Caribbean “I just want to have people feel like they’re walking up to a roti shack in Barbados where I fell in love with roti,” says Holmes and you just want to hang out and feel the Blackity Blackness of the space — really good music and good vibes.” Holmes’s wife “She does the playlists of our life,” Holmes says Bridgetown Roti specializes in a distinctly American “It’s West Indian street food through my American body,” Holmes says so I can’t claim to be pulling stuff from Barbados to America What I can claim to be is a Caribbean American Central to the menu is the paratha-style rotis made with a blend of all-purpose and locally milled Grist & Toll flours laminated with vegan butter The boldly flavored parcels come neatly packed with crispy potatoes including Mom’s chicken curry (Holmes’s childhood favorite) green curry shrimp (Holmes’s current favorite) and roasted red pepper goat that the chef learned to make by studying a thrifted Indian cookbook “I was just reading about the different ways [Indian cooks] use red peppers with goat and I was like then I can mix it with Caribbean-style goat curry,’” says Holmes “A lot of my inspiration came from trying to connect the Southern Indian roots that have a lot of influence on the Caribbean.” Holmes feels a tremendous sense of freedom to explore and experiment with the myriad cuisines represented throughout the Caribbean “The Caribbean is full of these forced communities — the Africans were forced there “I feel very free to pull influences from any place that was touched by the British Empire because those colonies had such a huge impact on the food story of America.” our bloodlines were there on those islands and my grandmother instilled my identity and made sure that I always had a connection back to the islands which I frequented as a kid.” Seasonal rotis and lamb will periodically appear on the menu Playing alongside the roti lineup are patties inspired by the ones Holmes grew up eating when visiting family in Flatbush and two vegan options: roasted garlic eggplant with scallions and curried mango with sweet potato The selection of side dishes includes mac and cheese pie Aunt Vie’s codfish cakes (a Holmes family staple) greens stewed in a mixed-pepper coconut dashi Under the menu’s Caribbean “Tings” section are doubles ladled with channa curry and coco bread sourced from Café Tropical in Silver Lake What sets Bridgetown Roti’s bold flavors apart from other Caribbean restaurants in town are the chef’s half-dozen proprietary curry powders and pastes found in nearly every dish curry you get in the Caribbean is made from the same kind of curry powders and I wanted to do that differently by making our own powders and pastes from scratch,” she says Holmes formulated Bridgetown Roti’s blends by learning from cookbooks and reverse-engineering mass-produced curry powders to her tastes Bridgetown Roti will serve Caribbean beers and wine from Black-owned wineries once its alcohol license comes through at the end of this year. Until then, the restaurant’s drink options include homemade juices and teas, like coconut mint limeade, sorrel, and passion fruit guava tea. Ginger beers from New York-based Uncle Waithley’s will also be on hand Working alongside Holmes and Smith are 10 employees Bridgetown Roti’s commitment to employee equity is informed by the decades Holmes spent working as a Black woman in predominantly white male-dominated kitchens “The counter service model allows us to have the equity of tip share,” she says Staffers start at the same hourly wage and receive pooled tips Employees are trained to perform every job in the front and back of house to create more of an “all-for-one kind of atmosphere,” says Holmes “I think it comes from my sports background I want the kitchen to have a ‘next man up’ kind of mentality.” Paid time off is available after a year of employment and raises are based on longevity and performance rather than official titles Traditional health benefits are currently unaffordable for the restaurant Holmes and Smith will cover “things that help with self-care,” like gym memberships both Holmes and Smith are optimistic about the possibility of bringing Bridgetown Roti to more locations “Maybe there is an airport we can exist in “There’s just so much potential we’ve realized in our food and our concept.” the two are focused on making their first restaurant a success “LA has given us both a sense of home as people who moved around a lot,” says Holmes “I’m just trying to bring a little more of what home means to me to the place that I have made my home.” Disclosure: Eater LA reporter Mona Holmes is related to Rashida Holmes Barbados unveiled Bridgetown Initiative 3.0 a bold plan to reshape global finance and support climate-vulnerable nations with a collective $1 trillion in new funding On Sept. 27, the government of Barbados published a third iteration of the Bridgetown Initiative an effort led by Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley to reform the global financing system in a way that prioritizes the needs of climate-vulnerable nations The purpose of the Bridgetown Initiative is to rethink the global financial system in a way that will relieve heavy debt burdens and increase accessible financing for mitigation and adaptation The first version launched in 2022 and the second iteration last year includes several updates and provides a longer ► Making development finance work in an era of climate emergency ► How the Bridgetown Initiative envisions global financial system reform (Pro) ► Bridgetown Agenda author rejects idea of climate reparations A social enterprise, we connect and inform over 1.3 million development, health, humanitarian, and sustainability professionals through news, business intelligence, and funding & career opportunities so you can do more good for more people. 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Free NewsletterUK Join the newsletter that everyone in finance secretly reads has secured $19 million in fresh funding to boost its market research capabilities Bridgetown Research is transforming AI-driven market insights led by Lightspeed Venture Partners and Accel increases the startup's valuation to $250 million Unlike typical AI products that rely on large language models Bridgetown uses AI agents to derive proprietary data from expert insights and customer surveys providing executives and investors with strategic insights by pinpointing critical patterns Bridgetown aims to expand its AI analytical capabilities and establish targeted partnerships to enhance sector-specific intelligence building on its private equity roots to cover a broader range of market research domains For markets: AI insights poised to transform market strategies Bridgetown Research is making waves in the AI sector by targeting underserved areas of the market research world with its innovative approach Investors and executives should watch how these new AI capabilities might influence market strategies and decision-making The company's success could lead to wider adoption of AI-driven insights across various industries potentially reshaping how data guides investment and operational decisions The bigger picture: AI evolution beyond large language models Stéphane Renevier, CFA Markets Could Pick A Direction This Week – Here's WhyJonathan Hobbs, CFA Why GameStop Might Actually Be Worth A Look Right NowTheodora Lee Joseph, CFA The Great Wealth Transfer Is Coming – Here’s How To Profit From ItTheodora Lee Joseph, CFA Political Risk Is Part Of A Stock’s Value Now – And, No, You Can’t Afford To Tune It OutStéphane Renevier, CFA The US Added More Jobs Than Expected, Sending American Stocks UpREAD NEXTResearch The Market’s Been Tough. 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Privacy Policy a signature item in her first bricks-and-mortar restaurant which Holmes describes as Caribbean American the former Rustic Canyon and Botanica chef takes multiple days to make her roti then wraps it around a rainbow of fillings such as her mom’s chicken curry with turmeric slaw; curried shrimp in house-made green seasoning; and pumpkin with fried cauliflower yellowed with turmeric and house-made curry powder A new “Caribbean Tings” section of the menu points guests toward codfish cakes curried channa doubles and a new coco bread sandwich but most representing what Holmes and business partner Malique Smith see as a modern and personal reflection of Caribbean food in L.A “For us that means taking things that are traditional and making them our own and that means bringing new ideas into what ‘traditional’ means,” Holmes said “It’s what home means to me because we moved around a lot as a kid My loyalty’s in terms of what food I loved and the food I loved was the stuff my mom made — like fried fish and curry chicken — and my Aunt Vie’s codfish cakes.” chef and partner of Bridgetown Roti in East Hollywood (Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times) The pop-up founded in 2020 and run out of Holmes’s house with her wife was always a means to open a bricks-and-mortar restaurant The process took years longer than expected but Holmes has always picked up help along the way — often with brokers and investors tasting her food After a long search she and Smith found a space in East Hollywood and while they waited for the opening of their restaurant withdrew from pop-ups and weekly food pickups That longer incubation period has allowed Holmes to find new staff to help run and maintain the kitchen as well as tinker and ready new items for the menu The stable of signature roti and patties remain while items such as the thick wedges of curry- and ghost-pepper-laced mac and cheese pie usually only available around the holidays and for catering Entirely new items include sizable whole chicken wings marinated in jerk brine and sweetened with honey, as well as the fried-fish cutter sandwich, served on fresh coco bread baked at Silver Lake’s revived Cafe Tropical and nonalcoholic drinks one might find at a picnic like a fresh-coconut mint limeade or a passion fruit and guava tea Holmes’ mom had always helped the venture with entrepreneurial advice but now is a more formal part of the team colorful restaurant in a roughly 1,800-square-foot space with just less than 10 tables with a small patio yellow and blue in the design are meant to replicate the colorful hues of the painted houses in the Caribbean familiar aesthetic and menu — and Bridgetown Roti’s success — will encourage others to follow suit setting off a chain reaction of Caribbean cuisine in L.A “I hope that by this time next year there are more Caribbean restaurant spots popping up in Los Angeles because I think that the market is ripe and people want to have it,” Holmes said is too big to not have there be more of us here really making waves.” Bridgetown Roti is open Wednesday to Monday from 11 a.m 858 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, (747) 221-9026, bridgetownroti.com Bay Area-founded smashburger operation Smack Burgers began humbly in a backyard in 2021 but quickly went viral for its pressed-thin patties smashed with thin ribbons of onions a spicy bacon cheeseburger drizzled with hot honey While its pop-ups and food trucks still roam Northern California Smack Burgers just opened a bricks-and-mortar here — its first L.A outpost — taking over the former Taco Chabelita space in Harvard Heights burger bowls and beef-tallow-fried waffle fries at this eye-catching yellow-and-black burger joint just off the freeway Smack Burgers is open Sunday to Thursday from 11 a.m 2001 S. Western Ave., Los Angeles, instagram.com/smackburgers Vinyl bar and restaurant Wax on Hi-Fi blends Japanese and Creole favorites such as chicken katsu curry with andouille (Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times) Wax on Hi-FiA new downtown vinyl bar is blending Japanese and Creole flavors to the tune of soul Wax on Hi-Fi is the first restaurant for Atlanta-born chef-owner TJ Johnson who is also a DJ; she traveled to Tokyo for inspiration in designing her own Japanese-inspired hi-fi bar which regularly hosts DJ sets in addition to other live programming such as comedy nights Dishes draw from Japanese classics as well as Creole and other iconic Southern food for options such as fried chicken with Japanese curry that’s studded with andouille; nori-topped mac and cheese rich with miso; and shrimp po’boys crowned with yuzu-and-Kewpie slaw wine and beer alongside sake and soju cocktails such as lemon Wax on Hi-Fi is open Wednesday to Sunday from 11 a.m 212 W. 5th St., Los Angeles, (213) 332-1697, waxonhifi.com Those looking for a briny bite have a new destination with Topped an unusual stand in the Original Farmers Market from the team behind Kaylin + Kaylin Pickles The local pickle company known for its range of flavors like honey mustard and spicy garlic — and its pickle tasting bar — recently expanded with a second stall Topped specializes in pickle “boats” and pickle chips loaded with toppings in sweet and savory options hollowing out half-spears or piling trays of pickle chips with Takis and nacho cheese; smoked salmon with capers and cream cheese; Nutella with peanut butter and pretzels 6333 W. 3rd St., Los Angeles, kaylinandkaylin.com Stephanie Breijo is a reporter for the Food section and the author of its weekly news column. Previously, she served as the restaurants and bars editor for Time Out Los Angeles, and prior to that, the award-winning food editor of Richmond magazine in Richmond, Va. Born and primarily raised in Los Angeles, she believes L.A. to be the finest food city in the country and might be biased on that count but doesn’t believe she’s wrong. Food World & Nation Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map Thanks for visiting The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here 2025 at 8:01 am ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}A house fire on Bridgetown Pike Tuesday morning is under investigation (Lower Southampton Fire Department)LOWER SOUTHAMPTON TOWNSHIP PA —A house fire on Tuesday morning on Bridgetown Pike is under investigation The Feasterville Fire Company and nine mutual aid companies responded to the fire in the 1300 Block of Bridgetown Pike Fire crews found smoke coming from the chimney and side of the home Firefighters went into the home to find the fire in the basement The following fire departments assisted the Feasterville Fire Company: Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. that means JavaScript has been disabled on your browser Please enable JavaScript to make this website work A congregation in Bridgetown thinks it can Bridgetown Baptist Church pastor Steve Hopper stood and watched as the 133-year-old church on Granville Street was destroyed by fire April 26 despite best efforts by firefighters from as far away as Bear River and Kentville we’re kind of devastated at the fact that we lost our building But the church is more about the people than the building and we will rebuild,” Hopper said at the fire scene almost a year ago Subscribe now to access this story and more: Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience Our people are a fantastic group and very resilient and so we will grieve what we’ve lost and look forward to the future.” When the congregation bought the old school but Hopper believes it’s a win-win for the church and the community it’s been a popular decision,” Hopper said And I think some of the reason why it’s mixed is just based on misinformation.” We went up on the roof to make sure that the roof wasn’t leaking and was sound and would be sound for a number of years “We walked through it and gave it the eyeball test to make sure there was no obvious places where the water was leaking And then we hired a company to come and actually take samples from inside the building – of air quality of mold and of asbestos.” They did all that because the rumour mill was saying you’d have to wear a hazmat suit if you go into the building because it’s going to be contaminated “But the tests come back and said like it’s OK,” Hopper said then there’s no mold; there’s no asbestos issue and there’s no air quality issue.” there was grief and dealing with the aftermath of the fire wasn’t easy for many in the congregation “I would say that we went through kind of the various stages of grief over the loss of our building,” Hopper said describing that fateful day as a tough and unimaginable event “A lot of the people stood and watched as it burned and so they were affected quite deeply,” he recalled noting that many people had very strong ties to the building “And so we went through that grieving process and along the way we could rise from the ashes and we set plans in place to help do that so some people to this day still grieve the loss of the building this is the beginning of something new that we can build here in Bridgetown.’” After going through the initial grieving process the congregation established a visioning team We knew right away that we wanted to rebuild But we weren’t sure on what type of building we would like to have,” Hopper said That team created a three-pronged approach “We had a town hall meeting where we invited the community to come and we asked them ‘what would you like to see in a new building?’ And they told us they would like to see the grounds outside of the building well maintained with gardens and aesthetically nice They told us they would like to have places for children like day care or after school or that type of programming.” They would also like to have rooms available for community groups to meet in and for community ministries to run out of “We filed all that information away and thought we’ll take that into consideration,” he said “We also went and visited somewhere between 10 and 12 growing churches in Atlantic Canada.” Hopper said everybody’s under the assumption that churches are all in decline and are dying “Are there churches in some communities that are thriving And we wanted to know what’s in the design of your building that assists you in your ministry to draw people to it,” he said “And then the third part of that that we did was a survey of our congregation and asked them what would you like to have in a new building.” they established 10 priorities they would have in a building From there they began to look at what they would have in this new building and realized the existing space was too small “The idea for renovating a building that had started out as something else came from our visioning time when a few of us visited other growing churches to see what they were doing and what worked for them,” Grant Wright “A couple places we visited were in renovated buildings and that gave us the idea that that might be something we could consider.” Hopper said they began to look around at other spaces that could be repurposed and renovated to become a church “And that got us to thinking we could do more with our insurance (money) if we bought and renovated an existing building rather than starting from scratch and then one day I was on a Viewpoint and saw the school on Viewpoint and I thought ‘That’s cool Could it be a building that we could renovate?’” Hopper recalled “I mentioned it kind of in fear and trembling to the first couple of people go through the school with me and just kind of envision how we can put these 10 key priorities into the building’ and right away they caught the vision and thought this could happen.’ And so that’s how we ended up settling on the school and it began a negotiation process that took months to complete.” Wright said they knew they wanted to reach out to the community for ideas of how they could serve and include them “The idea of the school and grounds came to several of us during our prayer times and other visioning times so much that we began to feel God is leading us to pursue the idea,” Wright said they also knew that with the high cost of building today they could never afford to build a structure anywhere close to the school property “It looked like the very best option for us to get a property already standing that we could renovate to suit our needs,” Wright said “With an eye to our present and future needs especially while thinking about our ability to reach out to the community we are now excited to take on this project and make the old school which has been a part of our town’s history since 1960 “The big thing is that acquiring this building “The end game is having a building that we can use for the benefit of our community and to further the church’s mission grateful and thankful to God that he provided this opportunity for us to have this We’re excited about what the future looks like for the church because of that.” Hopper said the church offers hope in troubled times “I would say that our world is very unstable right at the present time and the church offers a message of stability,” Hopper said “You know the Bible’s quite clear about putting too much trust in human beings and not enough trust in God We’re a group of people who are here for each other Hopper said the church will need help renovating the 17,000 square-foot former school The first priority will be the 10,000 square feet the church requires He’s not sure exactly what kind of help he will need right now “We’re really too early to say what we need yet,” he said one of the things that we will need is to have a design done on the building – professionally done – so that we know what we’re going to do with the inside then we’ll know what we need for volunteers.” Hopper knows that members of his congregation and the community at large had a deep emotional attachment to the old church “People had an emotional attachment to the elementary school And the fact that it’s set vacant for six or seven years was troubling to people who either went to the school or had children who went to it,” Hopper said “So some of the positive feedback we got is this building is an icon in the community and we’re excited that the church is going to be able to use us it.’ We both want to hang on to some of the past but we wanted to be innovative and creative (with) what it looks like in the future.” There used to be a playground at the school Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected Postmedia may earn an affiliate 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By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Salem’s lively theater scene this summer got a little bigger and deeper Bridgetown Conservatory of Musical Theatre which has been preparing young people in Portland for careers in theater arts since 2017 set up digs on one of downtown Salem’s busiest blocks They’re upstairs in the Salem Arts Building on Liberty Street about a minute’s walk from the Reed Opera House mall the school wrapped up its first eight-week “triple-threat” class where students ranging in age from 10 to adult received training from theater professionals in acting the seeds planted under the tutelage of Bridgetown founder Rick Lewis are sprouting on stages around the Willamette Valley seven young performers who took classes in Salem will join the cast and directed by Lewis in 2010 and first performed at Tigard’s Broadway Rose Theatre the show is a tribute to the American Theatre Wing’s Stage Door Canteen of World War II It is hosted by four (fictitious) Hollywood “stars” who entertain troops with holiday music portray cast members of the (fictitious) film The Kids “The popular music of the 1940s and World War II is singular as a musical genre,” Lewis says in the press notes “Some of the last century’s most beautiful lyrics and melodies were written during one of the darkest moments in history These are the songs that our grandparents grew up with But it’s already clear that productions by other companies will benefit from students who studied with Lewis and his team whose mother drove him to Salem every weekend for the eight weeks of classes was cast as Lazar in a production of Fiddler on the Roof now in rehearsal at Gallery Theater in McMinnville and set for a February run One of his instructors will appear in the same production That’s an example of the cross-pollination that’s a staple of the mid-valley theater scene “Rick is definitely a game-changer for Salem,” said Alex Casebeer and his passion for theater shines so bright.” Coleman a 12-year-old in the seventh grade at Abiqua School in Salem told his father that “Rick is easily one of the best directors he’s worked for.” Lewis moved to Portland in 1993 after 15 years of working in New York, where he racked up an impressive resume of off-Broadway and cabaret shows as a music director, pianist, and arranger. A seven-time Drammy Award winner he was the resident musical director for Portland Center Stage Offering private vocal lessons at his own studio anyway — there was sufficient demand for instruction in the theater arts In even the few short years of training young people through Bridgetown in Portland — years that included a pandemic no less — Lewis has seen his students go on to establish careers in theater “I have one student who came to us when she was 12,” he told me “She was one of three American students selected to go to the Royal Conservatory of Scotland That was amazing to watch that student’s journey I would have killed to have a program like this when I was younger It truly is amazing to be able to help someone open a door.” Opening doors comes easy for the crew that joined Lewis in Salem this fall and all have connections with both regional theaters and theaters around the country: Dance instructor Clara-Liis Hillier’s day job is as education manager for the Chehalem Cultural Center in Newberg She’s worked in the Portland area with the Broadway Rose Theatre and Corrib Theatre; she helps out at Sprague High School in Salem where her husband teaches theater Music instructor Beth Sobo Turk has worked in regional theaters around the country and appeared in a nationally touring production of Jesus Christ Superstar where she’s a regular at Gallery Theater and will along with one of her fall-term students at Bridgetown Acting instructor Gavin Hoffman of Portland got his BFA in acting from Ithaca College and is a graduate of the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts he’s lived and worked all over the country and also has TV credits that include Grimm have worked with Lewis and were asked by him to teach the Salem classes I had the pleasure of teaching with Rick every other class,” Turk said and together we’d work with the students and give feedback paired with his passion for training these young artists makes him a fantastic coach and collaborator.” was a product of serendipities that began with an unfortunate event: the closure earlier this year of Enlightened Theatrics in Salem Their last production was James and the Giant Peach in December the company’s board announced that economic challenges meant they would “go dark for the time being.” Lewis said Enlightened Theatrics initially approached Bridgetown about a merger but he decided that “probably wasn’t in our mutual interest to do that.” But Lewis pledged to fill the void with education programming which the Salem company had been doing on a smaller scale Bridgetown did some one-day workshops in Salem and finally held an open house over the summer to gauge interest in something more permanent, and the room was packed.  Classroom space on the mezzanine of the Salem Arts Building was available, just up the street from the Reed Opera House where productions by another Salem theater company that ran aground during the pandemic Bridgetown was happy to fill both those voids as well “There was just an eagerness in Salem for it,” Hoffman said I dropped by Salem Bridgetown’s digs and got a look at how it works The instruction is appropriate to each group’s skill level but they do theater games with Hoffman that help get them out of their shells “There are plenty of lessons I was taught in school — and even at the collegiate level — that didn’t make sense to me until after school had ended,” Hoffman said they’re not going to put it together until maybe five or 10 years down the road.” As rewarding as it is for Lewis and his staff to see the young students grow and go on to appear on other stages and get theatrical careers off the ground Hillier said teaching adults — a few of whom sign up simply because they drove their child an hour to get there and figured they might as well have fun while they wait — is also something to see “It is my greatest joy to be a teacher for upcoming performers,” she said “But there is something exceptionally beautiful and inspiring about teaching adults who are making this three-hour commitment for themselves wanting to explore their strengths in theater but also their weaknesses and just doing it for the love of performing It really is amazing to see that each week and lead dance class with them.” And some students do go on to make this their living Mallorie Mendoza, 24, studied under Lewis in Portland from 2016 to 2019 and went to work in New York after graduating from the Manhattan School of Music “Bridgetown is such an important school for young people because it gives them a safe space to learn and become the best versions of themselves,” she said “Rick knew me so well and knew the Manhattan School of Music would be a great fit for me She’s also employed, appearing in a production of A Christmas Carol at the Tuacahn Amphitheatre in Ivins Lewis is excited about the company’s first dual-city gig but we’re changing the nature of the show for the second half of it It’ll keep the adults on their toes and the kids are excited about it with a class aimed at college-age performers added to the mix “It was a bit of a gamble for us,” Lewis said of the decision to expand into Salem “But it’s one of the most exciting things we’ve done.” Email *Your email address will not be published Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. If you prefer to make a comment privately, fill out our feedback form The appearance by the poet and memoirist is part of the school's “Learning Across Boundaries” program which also includes a literary and visual art display With robust audiences and several hit films this year's lively festival climbed out of the pandemic-years slump Coming in 2026: AIFF's 25th anniversary celebration Tarell Alvin McCraney's poetical play at Portland Center Stage embodies memories of prison and mystical characters from the Yoruba traditions of West Africa Strategic business decisions have long been constrained by time and resources, but Bridgetown Research is changing the game. The AI decision science startup today announced a $19 million Series A funding round led by Lightspeed and Accel This capital will fuel Bridgetown’s mission to deploy AI-powered business research agents capable of transforming how private equity firms and corporate strategists analyze markets and make high-stakes decisions and often constrained by the availability of experts who have limited exposure to repeated cases Bridgetown Research aims to change this by automating fundamental research and analysis through AI-driven agents and synthesize primary and secondary data at a scale and speed previously unimaginable A standout feature of Bridgetown’s AI suite is its voice bots—sophisticated AI agents trained to recruit and interview industry experts By collecting primary data—direct insights from seasoned professionals—these agents provide businesses with proprietary intelligence that goes beyond publicly available information The AI agents also leverage alternative data sources including web-crawled insights and structured datasets from industry partners to create a comprehensive analytical framework Bridgetown Research was founded by Harsh Sahai a former Amazon machine learning leader and McKinsey & Co strategist who recognized that most business analyses are repetitive and thus ripe for automation His team consists of experts from McKinsey “We are excited to be a catalyst for change we are helping them make strategic decisions faster and more effectively drives demand for advisory and information services we enable over $10 in advisory and information services revenue—we’re building an ecosystem where everyone thrives.” Unlike many AI tools that merely search and summarize information using large language models (LLMs) Bridgetown Research’s AI agents go much further Business decisions often require a combination of proprietary intelligence and repeatable methodologies—something Harsh Sahai refers to as ontologies These structured frameworks allow businesses to systematically evaluate markets ensuring that decision-making is not only fast but also auditable and repeatable “Bridgetown Research is the only AI-driven company using agents to gather primary data and systematically extract patterns to generate original insights.” Bridgetown Research initially focused on private equity deal screening and diligence a high-value use case where speed and accuracy are critical top-tier PE and VC firms use Bridgetown’s AI agents to screen investment opportunities in just 24 hours—compared to the weeks it would traditionally take By eliminating the bottleneck of manual research these firms can focus on decision-making rather than just gathering data Bridgetown’s AI research agents are revolutionizing other business applications its voice-of-customer surveys enable companies to speak with hundreds of respondents simultaneously delivering insights within days instead of months This level of efficiency is unheard of in traditional market research making Bridgetown an indispensable tool for decision-makers Venture firms Lightspeed and Accel see immense potential in Bridgetown’s AI-driven approach “AI is causing widespread disruptions across enterprise functions and Bridgetown Research is at the forefront of this transformation Executives using Bridgetown’s platform describe it as having a team of top-tier consultants at their fingertips We are excited to partner with Harsh and the team as they define a new category of applied AI.” “Strategic decisions define a company’s trajectory The research and analysis behind these decisions have historically been slow and fragmented Bridgetown Research is changing that—offering executives and investors an order of magnitude more information As global markets become more complex, the demand for high-quality, fast, and cost-effective decision intelligence continues to rise. With this funding, Bridgetown Research plans to expand the capabilities of its AI agents to cover a broader range of industries and business problems The company will also strengthen its partnerships with domain-specific intelligence providers further enhancing the quality of insights available to its clients Needle Secures $2.2 Million in Seed Funding to Revolutionize Enterprise AI Adoption SmartSuite Secures $38 Million to Drive Global Expansion and Transform Work Management Antoine is a visionary leader and founding partner of Unite.AI driven by an unwavering passion for shaping and promoting the future of AI and robotics he believes that AI will be as disruptive to society as electricity and is often caught raving about the potential of disruptive technologies and AGI As a futurist, he is dedicated to exploring how these innovations will shape our world. In addition, he is the founder of Securities.io a platform focused on investing in cutting-edge technologies that are redefining the future and reshaping entire sectors Bagel AI Raises $5.5M to Bridge Product and GTM Teams with AI-Powered Intelligence Platform Sentra Secures $50M Series B to Safeguard AI-Driven Enterprises in the Age of Shadow Data Terra Security Raises $8M to Redefine Penetration Testing with Agentic AI Exaforce Raises $75M Series A to Transform Security Operations with Multi-Model Agentic AI MIT-Backed Foundation EGI Debuts Engineering General Intelligence to Transform Manufacturing RISA Labs Raises $3.5M to Accelerate Cancer Treatment with AI Operating System Advertiser Disclosure: Unite.AI is committed to rigorous editorial standards to provide our readers with accurate information and news We may receive compensation when you click on links to products we reviewed A West Dalhousie man is facing more than 60 charges after police searched a Bridgetown home Police searched the Morse Road home on Jan 9 as part of an ongoing drug investigation drug paraphernalia and an undisclosed amount of cash 9 and was remanded into custody pending a Jan The Annapolis District RCMP Street Crime Enforcement Unit (SCEU) has charged him with 16 counts each of careless use of a firearm possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose and possession of an unauthorized firearm eight counts each of unauthorized possession of a firearm and possession of a prohibited weapon two counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking and one count each of possession of property obtained by crime and breach of probation The Valley integrated SCEU and Annapolis County RCMP officers were part of the search Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon The best of Los Angeles straight to your inbox We help you navigate a myriad of possibilities Sign up for our newsletter for the best of the city By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news Sign up for our email to enjoy Los Angeles without spending a thing (as well as some options when you’re feeling flush) Our newsletter hand-delivers the best bits to your inbox Sign up to unlock our digital magazines and also receive the latest news By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions. Los Angeles This Caribbean-Angeleno lockdown pop-up has finally opened its long-awaited brick-and-mortar in East Hollywood Founded by Rustic Canyon and Botanica alum Rashida Holmes Bridgetown Roti now serves a brightly flavored fast-casual mix of rotis plus an all-new menu of “Caribbean tings” like cod fish cakes honey jerk wings and chickpea doubles (the last of which is only served on Sundays and Mondays) The tiny space fills up quickly during peak lunch hours but the excellent rotis—served as either a wrap or in a bowl—and wealth of vegan options make Bridgetown a worthwhile citywide dining destination for lunch or an early dinner I particularly enjoyed the decadent oxtail patty curry shrimp aloo (potato) roti and red pepper goat with peanut sauce which I ordered as a bowl for maximal enjoyment with the many house sauces you can’t really go wrong at Bridgetown Roti Thanks for subscribing! Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon! twitterinstagramspotifyAbout us Contact us Time Out magazine You don't have permissions to access this page The following description comes from the event organizer the only guide you need to things to do in Portland Use the calendar to select the date(s) you'd like to be reminded about or choose All Event Dates to be reminded every time this event happens The Secretary-General's conversation with H.E The last four years have been a tumultuous period for the global economy—and small island developing States in particular—marked by the COVID-19 pandemic This session will discuss the latest developments regarding the Bridgetown Initiative and the new Call to Action and how these can help SIDS address unsustainable borrowing and debt sustainability.  Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development A new Dairy Queen is coming to the West Side The new Dairy Queen Grill & Chill located at 4243 Bridgetown Road in Cheviot Franchise owner Ali Murad told The Enquirer he is inviting the community to come out and try some of Dairy Queen's signature soft-serve treats like chocolate-dipped cones and the famous candy- or cookie-packed Blizzard treats The location also serves typical fast food bites like burgers and chicken tenders plus a variety of ice cream cakes and other take-home novelties that can be customized to order The restaurant features 56 seats in the dining room Curbside pickup through the mobile app is available and patrons can also order delivery through DoorDash also own a Dairy Queen in Colerain Township The business partners are in the process of opening another location in Mount Healthy The duo invites community partners to help in their fundraising efforts. Currently, the brothers support Cincinnati Children's Hospital which will have officials on site at the store's debut Monday "We are going to have a great grand opening," Ali Murad said Hours for the Cheviot Dairy Queen will be 10:30 a.m Boom goes the final: Bumrah may only have had four overs but the threat of him hung heavy all through the chase and five overs where anything that could happen did India vs South Africa, final, 2024 T20 World Cup, Bridgetown Andrew Fidel Fernando is a senior writer at ESPNcricinfo A section of Bridgetown Pike will be closed to through traffic for two days due to necessary pipe replacement work The impacted stretch between Langhorne-Newtown Road (Route 413) and Langhorne-Yardley Road in Middletown Township will be closed on Friday motorists are urged to follow a detour via Langhorne-Newtown Road and North Flowers Mill Road/Langhorne Yardley Road The closure is due to the installation of new pipes The state transportation department advised drivers to allow additional travel time as delays are expected in the vicinity of the work areas Local access will be maintained throughout the duration of the closure Officials noted that the timing of the work is dependent on weather conditions Along Langhorne-Yardley Road, PennDOT has embarked on a project to install a roundabout and improve an intersection Report a correction via email | Editorial standards and policies You have successfully joined our email list Rink officials in Bridgetown are looking to replace their aging ice resurfacing machine contingent on it securing a grant from the province’s rink revitalization fund The municipality will use money from the Max Young Fund has served us well beyond its anticipated lifespan of 15-20 years thanks to the diligent upkeep by arena staff,” association vice-president John Osborne wrote in a letter to the municipality frequent and increasingly serious repairs – including issues with the drive shaft and drivetrain – have raised concerns about the risk of a major mechanical failure sourcing replacement parts has become increasingly difficult.” oversees operations at the Bridgetown arena one for an electric machine and one for propane and provided its proposed funding formula to the municipality The electric machine will cost $180,865 while a charger is expected to cost about $10,000 The association is applying for $127,244 from the province’s rink revitalization fund seeking a $20,000 Efficiency Nova Scotia rebate and has committed to raise $5,000 towards the project “That resurfacing piece of equipment is absolutely necessary.” The Bridgetown and District Memorial Arena opened on Jan after a 1965 fire destroyed the original rink that was built in 1922 supportive community venue for decades,” Longmire said Young (1894-1973) was a lifelong Bridgetown resident and business owner who left the residue of his estate ($65,000) to be used for maintenance of the Bridgetown arena Young was inducted into the Bridgetown Area Sports Hall of Fame as a builder/volunteer in 2014 it was valued at $837,524 with a large portion being in investment shares A municipal staff report noted the rink revitalization fund invested $267,000 in eight projects throughout the Annapolis Valley in 2023-24 who represents one of the two Bridgetown-area districts said there’s been a lot of in-kind support by a local mechanic to keep the 27-year-old machine going There is a 10-month wait for an electric machine once ordered meaning the current machine will be required to complete the current season and start of the 2025-26 campaign who represents the other Bridgetown-area district said rink officials borrowed a backup machine from the Berwick rink a couple of years ago when the engine in the Bridgetown resurfacer had to be replaced Jesse Hare questioned councillors receiving the request the same day as they were being asked to vote on the motion Chief administrative officer Chris McNeill said staff had gone back and forth with the association a few times and the final report wasn’t completed until the night before the council meeting The association was also working to get its application done to meet the province’s Feb 14 deadline for the rink revitalization fund and council’s February meeting is Feb Bridgetown’s Deep Water Harbour has welcomed cruise ships since 1994. The port is perched on the south-western side of Barbados Step off your ship and there’s plenty to see on a short stroll from the port housed in the UNESCO-listed Garrison building.The town overlooks Carlisle Bay where the adventurous can scuba dive among six ancient shipwrecks on the ocean bed The waters also have an abundance of marine life and the local beaches offer pure relaxation Other nearby places worth a day trip are Harrison’s Cave a world of mesmerising limestone structures and the Wildlife Reserve which is home to the famous Barbados green monkey The town also boasts an eclectic food scene traditional conkies and gooey macaroni pie to pickled sea cat Bridgetown has every culinary experience covered Here’s how to make the most of your time in the beating heart of Barbados.. BEST RESTAURANTS AND BARSMustor's RestaurantFondly known as ‘the gem of Bridgetown’, Mustor’s on McGregor Street is a humble tucked away from the crazy tourist‑packed eateries on the water’s edge offering everything you need for a Caribbean getaway BEST BUYSMount Gay RumIt wouldn’t be a trip to Barbados without rum If you’re looking to treat friends or family back home (or keep a little stash for yourself) don’t leave Bridgetown without a bottle of three centuries old Mount Gay.Bajan seasoningOnce you’ve tried hot garlicky Bajan seasoning Pop into any local supermarket for your fix – it’s sold in jars and various dry packets.Tamarind ballsOften called ‘nature’s candy’ these simple sugar-coated balls of tamarind might be a little sour for your tastes but they’re packed with Vitamin B and calcium making them a healthy gift for family back home BEST LOCAL TIPS"Don’t forget to try famous Bajan dishes Our cuisine is one of a kind – full of flavour with seasoning and herbs."Janelle Sealy If your trip ties in with Crop Over or Oistins Fish Festival student"As Bridgetown is on the west coast rent a car and take a drive to see the stunning coastline scenery."Amanda Griffith Get World of Cruising magazine delivered straight to your doorstep destinations guides and top travel tips for planning the perfect cruise holiday Subscribe today to discover the World of Cruising Bridgetown Pike near Core Creek Park to be closed as work continues on roundaboutBucks County Courier TimesThe Pennsylvania Department of Transportation announced pipe replacement work in Bensalem and Middletown which will involve travel restrictions and road closures Bridgetown Pike between Route 413 (Langhorne Newtown Road) and Langhorne Yardley Road will have closures from Friday The detour is Route 413 (Langhorne Newtown Road) Work began late last month at the corner of Langhorne-Yardley Road and Bridgetown Pike and nearby Langhorne- Yardley and Woodbourne roads The $10.6 million transformation from a Y-intersection at Bridgetown Pinke into a roundabout will improve congestion and safety according to a Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and motorists should expect delays through August More: Middletown corner near Core Creek Park being replaced with roundabout. Prepare for detour PennDOT will close Cornwells Avenue between U.S 13 (Bristol Pike) and Route 513 (Hulmeville Road) from Monday but motorists should expect delays and allow extra travel time Bridgetown Conservatory of Musical Theatre is launching its new training school in Salem which already offers one-day workshops in the city will expand its musical theatre training in acting Its headquarters at Salem Arts Building on 155 Liberty St NE near Noble Wave and the Reed Opera House building will consist of 2,400 square feet on the mezzanine and separate private studios acting studio and 600-square-foot dance studio with sprung floor and full-length glassless mirrors The announcement comes after Enlightened Theatrics announced its closure earlier this year "Bridgetown Conservatory of Musical Theatre is keeping its promise to the now-dissolved Enlightened Theatrics," Bridgetown officials said in a statement Bridgetown pledged to fill the educational and theatrical void left by Enlightened." The conservatory space will provide the educational component Scheduled performances at the Verona Studio in the Reed Opera House will provide the theatrical component Bridgetown Conservatory Artistic Director Rick Lewis said he was excited about the opportunity to expand into the Salem community After holding their one-a-month workshops at the Verona Studio the group realized they needed to bring their full program of eight-week terms to the area "Serendipity has been much at play in all of the moves we've made in the Salem theatrical community," Lewis said "We discovered the Verona Studio Theatre quite by accident to find a permanent Salem home right next door to the Reed Opera House is amazing yet not completely surprising to us It's just another sign that we are doing the right thing!" The Portland-based conservatory was launched in 2016 and has trained hundreds of students dance and vocal performance geared toward teens 12 to 19 years old and adults 20 and older The triple-threat training is taught by former Broadway and NYC professionals and is designed to prepare teens for college musical theatre programs and professional careers Bridgetown has helped more than 70 high school graduates gain entry into top musical theatre programs including London's Royal Central School of Speech and Drama Each term has a specific musical theater focus such as a Broadway period The fall term's "Funny You Should SING That!" will focus on the comedy songs of Broadway More information is available online at bridgetownconservatory.org/salem-bridgetown Source: Bridgetown Conservatory of Musical Theatre Read more: What's that under construction in the Salem area? Restaurants, retail and more Is there something under construction you'd like to tell us about or find out more about? Contact reporter Whitney Woodworth at wmwoodworth@statesmanjournal.com and other improvements will be made at Langhorne- Yardley and Woodbourne roads PEnnDOT announced just before the start of the Memorial Day holiday weekend on Thursday The $10.6 million transformation from a Y-intersection into a roundabout will improve congestion and safety according to a Pennsylvania Department of Transportation advisory on its website PennDOT’s contractor will construct a single-lane roundabout and realign the roadway; install upgraded traffic signals and lighting; perform resurfacing operations; and improve mobility for pedestrians and bicyclists," reads the alert that the agency shared on its social media pages The single-lane roundabout will slow traffic During construction, there will be a detour which was nto clearly specified in the alert but a map shows it is about 5.4 miles around Core Creek Park A second intersection at Langhorne-Yardley Road and Woodbourne Road Intersection will realign "the northern leg of Woodbourne Road." Each approach to the busy intersectionwill get an "auxiliary" turning lane Currently traffic backs up as vehicles wait for approaching traffic to clear to make turns PennDOT also said the "eastern leg of Woodbourne Road will be widened to allow for a left turn lane on Langhorne-Yardley Road approaching Erica Drive," a residential street off Langhorne-Yardley The section between the two intersections getting improved along Langhorne-Yardley Road will also be enhanced to better align the road "to improve sight distance and widening of lanes and shoulders," PennDOT wrote in its advisory The work will cause periodic lane closures during the week Check back for more on this developing story Home   News   Article A breakdown in relations at Bridgetown Primary School in Stratford has resulted in teachers threatening to go on strike this morning (Thursday) Temporary teaching staff are being brought in to cover any absences The Herald has heard claims of teachers crying in bathrooms as “unreasonable management practices” have been identified as the main source of grievances Five further strikes have been called for 8th Around half the staff are members of the National Education Union (NEU) which is representing its members in negotiating with the school and local education authority Staff who are not members of the union are presumed to be working as normal The timeline of the current issues at the school goes back to the departure of former head Jane Tailby when deputy Lisa Pinkerton took over as interim head a teacher of 18 years with six years experience as a head while Mr Szortowski’s approach came under criticism One parent said: “I understand that change is necessary but the changes at Bridgetown have been far from positive and they are having far reaching consequences now much-loved long term staff such as Miss Knight The rest of the staff are forcing smiles on the playground When you have been in that playground as long as I have you know when all is not as it seems they appear exhausted and emotionally fragile “You only need to read the minutes from the December governors’ meeting to see that it was mentioned that staff morale was very low but Mr Szortowski reported no one had spoken to him about it “We need to remember that no one strikes without very good reason we need to understand the desperation from the teachers TAs and support staff – when striking seems to be their only voice.” On Monday (31st March) the NEU invited parents to a meeting at the Alveston Manor Hotel where it sought to give some context to the strike action Despite many parents sharing their disappointment with leadership at the school – including ten pages of negative comments seen by the Herald – other parents remained unconvinced of the necessity of strike action One parent told us that “antagonistic letters” sent by the school had put the strikers in a bad light It read: ‘Despite our continuous efforts to resolve the proposed issues through discussion and mediation the NEU has decided to proceed with the strike ‘It is particularly disappointing that the NEU has chosen to strike based on an ambiguous description on their ballot that stated the reason for the action as “unreasonable management practices” without clear evidence or specific examples.’ the head sent out another letter asking parents not to take part in WhatsApp messaging groups about the school In it Mr Szortowski said: ‘We are aware that unofficial channels of communication have been established via WhatsApp We would politely request that any questions are sent directly to the school for a response in line with our policies.’ He then outlined ways in which the school had been proactive in trying to ease relations These included: a secondment of a deputy head and leadership coaching by a head from other schools In an open letter sent to parents the NEU said: “The NEU are extremely disappointed at the communications sent out to parents Children are at the heart of everything our members do and they did not vote for strike action lightly “It is because they care so deeply that they are prepared to strike – your children and the quality of education are worth striking for ‘We are sure many of you love this school and its community and the committed and caring staff who deserve a safe and healthy working environment that allows this to flourish.’ SEN teaching assistants and other support staff raised concerns that had been ongoing since early 2024 with the headteacher and chair of governors through official school reporting procedures in the summer term 2024 They then contacted the NEU branch and regional office for further support and advice as no resolution had been reached ‘NEU officials visited the school on 11th November 2024 and first contacted Warwickshire County Council raising collective issues on 18th November during February half-term and earlier this week but have not achieved necessary progress ‘Two letters have been sent out to parents attempting to bring the integrity morals and professionalism of staff into question.’ Both Mr Jackson and Mr Szortowski declined to speak to the Herald directly director of education at WCC commented: “The local authority is working closely with the school and the NEU to attempt to resolve an ongoing dispute and had hoped to avoid industrial action which will cause disruption to pupils’ education and local families “No concerns have been raised about the school or regarding the safety of children and we continue to work with the headteacher their leadership team and the chair of governors to put practice and procedures in place to ensure the school is a supportive and inspiring place to learn and work “We are in ongoing discussions with the union and hopeful it will work collaboratively with the school and the local authority to reach a conclusion.”